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In my last post, I told all of you about my weight loss and exercise program as part of Oakland Christian School‘s Biggest Loser competition. Well today’s is to give you a little update!

On Wednesday, I received an email from Merianne telling us that we are in for a “surprise weigh in” on Friday. Well, much to my delight, my initial thought was “Nice! I can’t wait to see if I maintained or maybe even lost another pound or 2!”

So this morning, I stepped on that scale and I actually GAINED almost 4 pounds! Not the news I was hoping to get! What happened?

I think a few things could contribute to this…those “few things” being the number of Christmas parties and pot lucks I’ve attended over the last couple of weeks! More importantly though, I think I experienced the downside of success…complacency. I took my eyes off the target of maintaining my weight and healthy eating habits and thought that I could now just coast. Thankfully, the scale can be a painful reminder that in order to have continued success, you need to stay focused on your goal which for me was staying and eating healthy. It’s time to refocus and not let this small setback derail all the work I’ve done up to this point!

As I look forward to 2013, this little year end lesson made me think about other areas in my life where I’ve enjoyed some success and maybe have given in to some complacency:

MY FAITH – my relationship with God is stronger than ever but still requires full commitment from me to live it out every day

MY MARRIAGE – Julianne and I will celebrate 14 years in August next year. We’ve had our ups and downs but our relationship is the glue that holds our family together and I want make sure that she knows how much I love her and admire her

MY KIDS – These 4 little ones always bring a smile to my face and I take being their father seriously. There are things I can (and will) do better next year. In addition to spending more time with them individually, I want to provide them with their own targets / goals to achieve and hold them accountable.

MY JOB – MRM Detroit has been great to me and it really is hard to believe I’ve been here for over 2 years now. The leadership here has been very supportive especially when the account I came here for was closed. They reassured me they would find a place for me, they did and now I have a reason to be even more appreciative with the recent promotion I received

So there you have it. Along with my health, the 4 things I listed above need my continued focus and that means staying true to the goals I’ve laid out for myself in each of them.

Don’t take your eyes off the target or you might get stuck with an extra 4 pounds you don’t want.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14 KJV)

I just saw the Christmas service from Kensington Church tonight. A few thoughts. The 12 Days of Christmas will never be the same again for me. I never thought Eminem would make his way into a church service. I had 80’s flashbacks with Devo. The arts team at KC is simply amazing.

More than anything, the message was one of significance for me particularly as I continue to reflect on Christmas and what it means to me. This year, the Kensington team went to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ and brought back a story of hope. A story of people divided politically and literally by a wall separating Palestine and Israel. We learned about peace on earth. We learned about people putting aside their labels and bringing forward their humanity. A humanity that thinks more about the person rather than trying to change a mind or opinion.

It was a great reminder to me to really focus on the people that I come into contact with on a daily basis and honor them. Respect them. Love them. These are the things that come to mind especially when I hear the words “Peace be with you.” Jesus Christ was and is the Prince of Peace. When that offering of peace is made, I feel relief, love, hope, and joy.

Peace is often the forgotten message but it can be the unifying message in any discussion or debate.

This week, I invite you to join my Kensington family and experience the hope and peace that was talked about today. There are a few of you I’m already thinking about that I believe would really get something out of the message and I’m praying for the right opportunity to invite you. There is also the opportunity to watch from the comfort of your own home as Kensington will be streaming LIVE all 15 Christmas services from its Troy campus at kensingtonchurch.tv. Whatever you decide, I invite you to join me and renew your sense of peace with a faith and hope that has given me strength over the last few years.

I came across this little nugget from a work e-mail I received today and just had to share for the following reasons:

It’s about the Philippines

It’s about Coke

It’s about the real meaning of Christmas

As we get closer to December 25th, I’m hopeful all of us realize that our families are our greatest gift. More important than any “thing” we get. The memories of families are what last and not what we got back in 1982.

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Both of these conjure up images of people doing anything and everything possible to get the best deal and the newest stuff for Christmas. I don’t have any issue with this. We all want nice things but does this become the most important thing about Christmas? Does it become so focused on self indulgence that we lose the meaning of what these holidays really should be about? Family. Community.

One thing that I’ve appreciated the most about Kensington Church is its ability to deliver impactful messages that make you think about your life and your purpose. This holds true each year when they talk about The Christmas Revolution. As we head into this Christmas season, I invite all of you to participate in something my family will be doing again. Do something radical with the money you were planning on spending for gifts…spend it on someone in need.

This has changed the way my family and I view Christmas each year. We appreciate everything God has given us. More importantly, we value the people in this world God has given us the ability to bless financially. Who knows…if enough people participate, we can make this something to look forward to after Thanksgiving instead of something peppery.

Like many of you, I’m sure you traditionally attended some type of church service to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Well this year, if you don’t have that “place” to go to, I’d like to invite you to a unique Christmas experience from Kensington Community Church! This week, Kensington will be streaming live one of its Christmas services ONLINE!

The birth of Jesus Christ is a celebration…one that can and should grow into a more than once a year event. So if you haven’t been to church in a while, why not take this opportunity to reacquaint yourself with God and see what you’ve been missing! For a sneak peak at what’s in store for you, check out the trailer below.

We’d love to have you join us online! If you have friends and family that would like to join you, then help spread the word! RSVP to the Facebook event HERE and invite others! If you’re on Twitter and chatting online, use #kccbackstage so you can see what other people are saying!

OK. Why would you want to do this?

You used to go to Kensington and you miss it so much!

You don’t want your friends to know you went to church…this is a good way to hide it!

No pressure from us! Kensington is providing you with an opportunity to experience Christmas and Jesus Christ in a unique way. I pray that you accept the invitation.

I think those are 3 pretty good reasons! And honestly, why wouldn’t you want to watch? Seriously though, if you don’t go to church, don’t believe in God, are skeptical…whatever the reason, I encourage you to just check this out this week. It’s a worthwhile 90 minutes that could potentially impact you for a lifetime.

We all know about the story of Jesus Christ and his birth…but do we really? As we all prepare Christmas, take a look at this fun video that really gets at the truth and the real reason for the season. Merry Christmas everyone!